


Dry Laughter

by AvaCelt



Series: Gintama Prompt Fills [4]
Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 17:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7062832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaCelt/pseuds/AvaCelt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In another world, Nobunobu chose his ambitions over his heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dry Laughter

**Author's Note:**

> Written for "Character Whump Fic Meme." Originally posted on my my [Tumblr writing blog](http://victorsandvanquishers.tumblr.com/) and now being archived here for the A03 writing community.

Sakamoto spat in his face before breaking into a sharp smile. “Usually, I’m much nicer, but ya just had to go ahead and break the treaty, didn’t ya NoobNoob? I fancy myself as bit of an embarrassment, but you take shitlickin’ to a whole different level. Tell me, did ya mother drop you on ya head? Did ya dad tell ya to muck out the stables before ya decided to ruin the world, ya snot-no-”

Nobunobu beat the baton over Sakamoto’s head once before grabbing him by his bloody brown hair and bringing his ear to Nobunobu’s lips. “The only reason you’re not dead is because you’re worth something to mecha bitch and the rest of your disgusting crew.” Sakamoto cackled in response, earning dry looks from the prison guards while Nobunobu fumed. He slapped Sakamoto twice and pulled on his curly hair again. “Stop laughing!”

Sakamoto wheezed, coughing up more blood. “Mercy, Noobnoob, I’m not a masochist! I like getting wined and dined, not kicked around and insulted. My mother raised me to be a proper noble, ya know.”

“Unfortunate, since you’re easy on the eyes, but there’s nothing but but air in that head of yours,” Nobunobu spat scathingly. “If you’d stayed in space, this wouldn’t have happened! It’s _my_ right to rule! No one, not even _you_ , can stop me!”

Sakamoto took measured breaths, jerking away from Nobunobu’s greasy fingers. He slumped against the dungeon wall and chuckled hollowly. “Really thought you were different from the rest, Hitotsubashi.”

His eyes glazed over while Nobunobu got up and stretched out his aching body. “You were wrong. You were wrong about your friends coming to save you, and you were wrong when you thought that silver haired punk would want to join you on your space adventures. Do you ever learn, Sakamoto? I don’t think you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”

If Sakamoto said anything in response, Nobunobu didn’t know about it. That was the last he saw of the prisoner he kept hidden away in his deepest dungeon. In the morning, Sakamoto was ransomed off and the Kaientai pirates promised never to land on Japanese soil ever again, because if Nobunobu could trick them once, he could trick them again.

In another world, maybe Nobunobu learned from his mistakes, maybe he made a different choice. In this one, he became the Light of the Land, and when Sakata Gintoki put a sword through his heart a week later, he wished he’d been able to see the bushy-haired man one more time. In another world, maybe Nobunobu held his hand, maybe he told him that he was sorry and that maybe, just maybe, he told him that he’d loved him all along.

But that was in another world. In this one, Nobunobu died alone.


End file.
